Automatic feeding mechanism for sheet-printing machines



June 15 1926. 7. 1,588,535

A. B. EVANS AUTOMATIC FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SHEET PRINTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 5. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.3-

' Inventor Attorney June 15 1926.-

A. B. EVANS AUTOMATIC FEEDiNG MECHANISM FOR SHEET PRINTING MACHINES Filed ep 5 '1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 Inventor 66. Q. 5, by

.Attorrwy.

Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR ennnouenns EVANSJDF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SHEET-PRINTING ItIACHINES,

Application filed September 3, 1924,-Seria1 Ne.

is run forward and is registered to a proper position from which it is carried to printing contact by grippers or the like which are integral elements of the printing a hine 7 Thus it is generally necessary for at least a clear length of the sheet to be interposed between the registering mechanism and the automatic feeding mechanism, in order to give room for registration.

The invention has for its objectto provide automatic feeding mechanism such that the travel of the sheet and the space required for the mechanism are greatly reduced.

The invention is-particularly applicable in those cases in which the sheet requires to be turned over end for end on leaving the pile and to be gripped by a gripper on the impressioncylinder or the like operating to take the sheet to the impressioncylinder as it lies with its leading edge under this cylinder, being the usual method understood to be meant by the term under-fed. According to the invention I register the sheet to frontand side-lays or the like whilst it is the top sheet of the pile, and seize the sheet in suction grippers .of wellknown form by which means the edge of the sheet is lifted and turned over and carried forward towards the impression cylinder or the like. 7

According to this invention, moreover, I

constrain the nozzle end of such suction V grippers to travel by a reciprocatory motion 111 an epicyclic path at arying and suitable speed, by means of cams and levers or the like operating upon the axis of wheels or the like which carry such suction grippers,

and which wheels are also constrained to rotate by being geared to circular segments coaxial with the fulcrum axis of such levers or the like, so that any axis carried by such wheels and therefore the ends of the nozzles of the grippers, follow a reciprocating epicyclic path. 7

According to thls mvennon moreover J... this epicychc path. is situated tangentially 735,680, and in Great Britain November 7,1923.

to the path, of the gripper of the impression cylinder or the like, and the suction grippers are made to release the sheet and the grippers of such impression cylinder to take the sheet at the line of Contact of such paths. 1

According to this invention, moreover, the sheet is made to travel at the same speed as the impression cylinder or the like at the time of'such release.

By the means described register o'f'the sheet in the printing machine is obtained without recourse to a separate registering mechanism and a sheet length is savedin the space occupied by the combined machines. The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying dra n ings in which Figure 1 is a detail viewin'side elevation of themechanism for e'ifectingregistration of the uppermost sheet at the top of a pile of sheets. 7

Figure 2 is a detail view in elevation similar to Figure 1 showing the parts of the mechanism in the position occupied when the uppermost sheet has been registered.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view of the mechanism represented in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the automatic feeding mechanism according to the invention, the parts being shown in the disposition occupied atthe beginning of the feed movement.

Figure 5 is an elevation similar to Fig ure 4 showing the parts of the mechanism at the moment of the completion of the feed movement.

Figure 6 is a detail "view of the mounting of the suction nozzles for effecting the transfer o'f'the sheet to the impression cylinder.

In carrying the invention into effect ac? cording to the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and referring I especially to Figures 13, a front lay a is mounted upon a horizontally disposed rod Z) in a position adjacent the upper end of the pile of sheets 0. A sleeve (Z slidably mountcd upon the rod 6 is fitted with a rack adapted to engage with a: toothed pinion 6 fixedly mounted upon a transverse shaft 6 adapted tov receive an oscillatory movement from a moving part of the printing machine, through such means as an arin'e and connecting redfltn'ot shown); ,7 v

7 nuts 9 are mounted upon the downwardly for engagement with the pile of d At th1s moment the suction'is interrupted.-

The suction head or nozzle f is provided upon a tubular member 7 which is pivoted to the sleeve cl on a horizontal axis by a pin f carried in lugs 61 upon the said sleeve (Z. .The tubular member f is connected to a tube f by which suction is applied and which is provided automatically to shut off the suction immediately the suction nozzle 7 has registered the uppermost sheet in the pile of sheets. The tubular member 7 carries a laterally projecting pin 7 and the sleeve (Z has pivoted upon it an arm 9 formed at the outer en a with a recess to receive the pin 7. The arm 9 carries a rotatably mounted lug g in which is fitted a rod 9 disposed substantially parallel with the rod 6 and passing freely through a collar 6 adapted to be securedin a determined position of adjustment upon the rod 5 by a screw stud or bolt 6 spring 9 is carried upon the rod g between the lug g and the collar 22 and adjusting end of the rod 9 protruding beyond the collar 6 r The front lay a carries a cam surface a adaptedto raise the suction nozzle f from the level of the upper surface of the pile of sheets when the nozzle 7 is in its rearmost position and a spring it, maintained in position by pins f d provided respectively upon the tubular member f and the'sleeve cl, serves to press upon the tubular member 1 in such manner as to maintain it in contact with the cam a 'and thus to press it sheets when it is moved into the forwar position.

The mechanism for automatically feeding the sheet which has been registered against the front lay a by the mechanism hereinbefore described, comprises a series of suction nozzles 2' upon a tube or hollow shaft i carried by a pair of hollow arms 2' mounted upon a hollow shaft j which is rotatably fitted in the upper ends of the longer arms of two bell-crank levers k which also are provided hollow and connected to suction pipes 72 through which suction may be applied to the said nozzles-i and which pipes are provided with valves automatically operate for the control'of'the suction according to the operation of the mechanism.

The bell-crank levers are pivoted upon shafts Z disposed at opposite sides of the pile of sheets, and the short arm of each lever has connected to it a spring a tending to draw the short arm in the downward direction. A second bell-crank lever Z is 'mounted fixedly upon each shaft Z and has the shorter arm connected to a spring Z tending to draw it downwardly. A toothed segment on is also'fixedly mounted upon one of the shafts Z and engages with a pinion m mounted upon the hollow shaft 9'. The impression cylinder 12 to which the sheets with a valve adapted to operate further carry runners p and p adapted to the cams'o and 0 bear respectively upon to limit the re- 7 Adjustable stops g serve d ciprocatory movement of the segment m for the purpose of determining the extreme limits of the movement of the suction nozzles z'.

The operation of the mechanism hereinbefore described is as follows The pile of sheets 0 being in position, upon the oscillation of the shaft 6, the sleeve d is A moved forward along the rod 0 carrying the nozzle f and the tubular member f with t,

thepin f being engaged with the arm g. When the nuts 9 contact with the collar 6 the forward movement of the arm 9 is ar rested and the suction nozzlef is permitted to fall upon the pile of sheets 0 by disengage-- ment of the pin f from the arm 9. At this moment the suction is applied through the pipe f On the return movement of the shaft 6 the suction nozzle and tubular member f are carried rearwardly by the sleeve d, the nozzle adhering to the uppermost sheet of the pile 0. This movement continues until the sheet contacts and the nozzle f begins to ascend the cam a the cam shaft 0 serving to oscillate the levers k and Z and the toothed segment on in suca with the front lay d manner that the nozzles 1' describe an epi cyclic path, carrying the sheet of paper with them. The epicyclic path is tangential tothe circumference of the impression cylinder so (1 that the sheet of paper is thus transferred to the grippers n on the said impression cylindern. a

Similar mechanism to that hereinbefore described for use in securing front registration of the sheet may be provided to effect side registration but any suitable alternative construction of side lay mechanism may be adopted. 7

It will be understood thatthe invention is not limited to the construction ofthe parts of the mechanism hereinbefore described.

I-claimz 1. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines consisting in combination of a movable suction nozzle adapted to engage the topmost sheet of a pile of sheets, means for moving the suction nozzlesym chronously with the printing machine cycle for moving the topmost sheet engaged by itupon the pile into position on the pile in register, a stop against which the said top most sheet is brought into register and separate means for transferring to the printing position the topmost sheet on the pile from the position in which it has been brought into register thereon, substantially as described.

2. Automatic: feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines comprising means for registering the sheet to be fed into printing position, and "suction grippers by which the sheet in register is raised, turned over and carried forward from the position in which it has been brought into register into the printing position, substantially as described.

'3. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines consisting in combination of a movable suction nozzle, means for moving the said suction nozzle to bring the sheet to be fed into register, and suction grippers by which the sheet in register is engaged, raised, turned over and carried forward to the printing position, substantially as de scribed.

4. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines consisting of a suction nozzle, a reciprocating member upon which the said suction nozzle is pivotally mounted, means for imparting reciprocating 'movement to the said reciprocating member synchronously with the printing machine cycle, a stop against which the topmost sheet of a pile of sheets is brought into register by the said suction nozzle in its movement, and means for transferring to the printing position the said topmost sheet from the position it has been brought into register, substantially as described.

5. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines consisting of a suctlon nozzle, a reciprocating member upon which the said suction nozzle is pivotally mounted, means by which the suction nozzle is brought into an elevated position on its return movement, means by which it is maintained in that position on its next forward movement, means for imparting reciprocating movement to the said reciprocating member synchronously with the printing machine cycle,

a stop against which the topmost sheet of a pile of sheets is brought into register by the said suction nozzle in its movement, and means for transferring to the printing position the said topmost sheet from the position it has been brought into register, substantially as described.

6. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines consisting of 'means by which the sheet to be brought into printing position is first brought'into register, suction grippers for engaging the said sheet, and means by which the said suction grippers are operated to raise, turn over" and carry forward the said sheet to the-printing position whereby the said suction grippers are moved in an epicyclicpath, substantially as described.

7. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines comprising means for bringing into register the sheet to be fed into printing position, suction grippers by which the said sheet is engaged, means by which the said suction grippers are moved to raise, turn over and carry forward the said sheet to the printing position comprising members upon which the said suction grippers are mounted and to which movement in an epicyclic path is imparted, substantially as described.

8. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines comprising means for bringing into register the sheet to be fed into printing position, suction grippers by which the said sheet is engaged, means by which said suction grippers are moved to raise, turn over and carry forward the said sheet to the printing position comprising members upon which the said suction grippers are mounted and to which movement in an epicyclic path is imparted, an impression cylinder, grippers mounted on the said im-. pression cylinder with respect to whose path the said epicyclic path is tangential, and means for causing the suction grippers to release the sheet and for the grippers of the said impression cylinder to take the sheet at the line of contact of the said paths, substantially as described.

9. Automatic feeding apparatus for sheet printing machines comprising means for bringing into .register the sheet to be fed into printing position, suction grippers by which the said sheet is engaged, means by which the said suction grippers are moved to raise, turn over and carry forward the said sheet to the printing position comprising members upon which the said suction grippers are mounted and to which movement 1n an epicyclic path is imparted, an 1mpression cylinder, grippers mounted on the sald impression cylinder with respect to whose path the said epicyclic path is tangential, means for causing the suction grippers to release the sheet and for the grippers of the said impression cylinder to take the sheet at the line of contact of the said paths, and means for imparting to the sheet onits release by the said suction grippers the same speed as the impression cylinder at the time of such release, substantially as described.

10. Automatic feeding. apparatus for sheet printing machines consisting in combination of means for brin ing into register the sheet to be passed to the printing position and suction grippers by which the said sheets are transferred to the impression cylinder, rotary elements upon which the said suction grippers are mounted, said rotary 5 elements being carried by reciprocating mem-' bers, oscillatory segmental members engagmg the said rotary elements, the axes of the said oscillatory segmental members coincidmg with the axes of the said rec1procat 1ng members, and means whereby the sheet is engaged in the impression cylinder at the time of its release from the suction grippers, substantially as describeth ARTHUR BURROUGHES EVANS. 

